Govt urged to shackle the BBC

A powerful group of media owners has called for greater restrictions on
the BBC in response to the Government's White Paper.

The group comprises Associated Newspapers, the Commercial Radio
Companies Association, The Newspaper Society, News International, and
the Telegraph Group.

It has called for an independent BBC Trust to be created to oversee the
Corporation. It also wants limits to be imposed on the BBC's digital
remit and assurances the BBC's digital activity will not be subsidised
by the licence fee.

The submission follows the Government's invitation for comments on its
The BBC in the Digital Age White Paper and the draft BBC Charter. It
expresses concern at the lack of "independent safeguards to stop (the
BBC) abusing that position at the expense of the commercial
operators".

Commercial companies are especially concerned that the BBC requires only
one service licence for the whole of BBC online, enabling it to launch
multiple online services under the bbc.co.uk banner without
scrutiny.

Earlier this year, Mark Thompson, the director-general of the BBC,
outlined plans to make the BBC's programme back catalogue available
online.

The media owners' response is signed by Paul Dacre, the editor-in-chief
of Associated Newspapers; David Elstein, the chairman of the CRCA; Les
Hinton, the executive chairman of News International; David Newell, the
director of the NS, and Murdoch MacLennan, the chief executive of the
Telegraph Group.

Separately, the BBC has invited agencies to tender for its £20
million creative roster. The current roster includes Abbott Mead Vickers
BBDO, DFGW and Fallon. Agencies must register an interest online at
bbc.co.uk/supplying by 12 June. Pitches will be held in October and
contracts commence in January 2007.